Amor Quod Fecimus
by Jillian Bowes
Summary: The Love That We Made: A series of Drastoria drabbles.
1. Chocolate

This is part one of a drastoria series, so stay tuned!

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Draco was in hell. He could not have been more sure of that. He sat in the near-empty common room, staring into the fireplace with wide eyes. If someone had asked him how he envisioned his sixth year, practical hostage to the Dark Lord would not have been his ideal answer.

But there he was, stiff and hopeless on a black leather couch. The Vanishing Cabinet was still unusable, and there was no way he could kill Dumbledore himself. His parents were going to be murdered, and it would be all his fault. He thought about the black ink that marred his arm. There was a time he might have been prideful at being marked in such a way, but now all he felt was nausea.

He leaned forward and put his head between his knees, attempting to steady his breathing. He was minutely shaking, cradling his head in his hands. He would be thoroughly embarrassed if he wasn't confident that the common room's only occupants couldn't hear him having a meltdown. Just when he was sure he would completely break down, he felt a tentative hand on his shoulder. He reared back, meeting the almond eyes of the girl who dared to approach him.

Astoria Greengrass.

"Hi," she breathed. "Sorry, I um. I thought you looked like you could use some chocolate." She broke off a piece of the half-wrapped chocolate bar in her hands and offered it to him with a warm smile.

He attempted a sneer, which he was sure did not look as intimidating as he intended. "Shouldn't you be in bed, Greengrass?" To his shock and curiosity, she took a seat next to him. Dangerously close to him, in fact.

"I thought you gave up your prefect duties?" she said in a lilting voice. Draco scoffed. "It'll make you feel better." She took a bite of it herself, as if to prove she hadn't poisoned it. He searched her sparkling gaze for any sign of treachery. Upon finding none, he took the proffered piece and took a bite. He could feel the cold dread seeping from his body at once. He closed his eyes and let out a deep exhale through his nose.

"Better?" she asked softly, head tilted slightly. He nodded almost unnoticeably. "We haven't formally met. I'm Astoria Greengrass."

"The fourth year, I know. And you already know who I am, so there's no need for introductions." He knew he was being rude to someone who had just done him a kindness, but he couldn't help it.

She sighed, but she was not discouraged. "You're right. Thought I'd try the formal thing, but it's so exhausting being 'pureblood' all the time. I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Well, I'm fine, so you can go." Disappointment flickered in her eyes for a brief moment, but it passed as quickly as it had come.

"I'll leave, but know it's not because you want me to. I have arithmancy early tomorrow morning and I have to get to bed." She stood up and pretended to dust off her sweater. He looked up to her, furrowing his brows. "Everything is going to be all right, you know."

He watched her back as she walked down the stairs to the girls' dorm. For someone so young, he thought she moved rather slowly.

He leaned back into the couch, ruminating over her words. He could only hope she was right.

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Leave a review if you liked it! More soon.


	2. Coffee

I've decided to make this into one story on this website, but it will remain a series on AO3. Hope you like it!

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By all accounts, he should have been somewhat happy. His father was out of Azkaban, his mother had stopped moping around the mansion longing for him, and he and his family had been pardoned.

He sat at an outdoor table at a little café, idly sipping some tasteless coffee. The sky was blue, and there was a light breeze that should have been relaxing, but everything was just _gray._ Food had no taste, his surroundings had no color. All he felt was empty.

The war had left a gaping hole within him that no amount of family wealth could fill. He knew that because he'd tried. For months he spend loads of money on anything that caught his eye, anything he thought might fill the vacancy in his soul. Nothing helped. He then turned his attention to alchemy, which he studied half-heartedly.

Eventually he decided to move out of the mansion, much to his mother's chagrin. He felt an echo of regret at leaving her, but she had his father with her, and he needed to get out of that wretched place. Every corner he turned and every hall he walked reminded him of the worst time of his life.

For her sake, he moved into a sleek yet small flat not too far from the mansion. He didn't spend much time there, though, opting instead to mill about Hogsmeade and avoid thinking about anything. A fat lot of good it was doing him, though.

"Well, you certainly look better than the last time I saw you." His head jersey up toward the sound of a voice he hadn't heard in a very long time. Astoria was here. "Granted, that isn't saying much," she lightly joked.

He gazed at her, agape. He thought perhaps he was hallucinating. "Greengrass?" he finally managed.

"Aren't you going to invite me to sit down?"

He smirked in disbelief, but gestured at the seat by him nonetheless. "By all means."

She took a seat and flagged down a passing waitress to order a coffee. "I didn't think I'd see you around here. It's good to see you."

He quirked a brow at that. "Is it?"

Astoria suddenly looked self-conscious. "Of course it is," she said, twiddling her thumbs. "I was worried, what with the war and everything. And you didn't come back to Hogwarts, so…" She trailed off.

"I take it you went back, then?" he asked, attempting to shift the focus off of him.

"Just graduated actually," she gushed. "The first year back was a little… strained, but things are mostly back to normal, I think." Draco's gut twisted at the memories she was evoking. She must have noticed his grimace, as she altered the subject. "So, how are you doing?"

He shrugged. He wasn't completely sure why he was even talking to her. They'd only ever had one conversation, and that was during one of the worst times of his life. He didn't know how to carry on with her. "Why are you so interested in me?"

She smiled. "I don't entirely know. But I see good in you. I want to get to know you, Draco." Her coffee arrived and she took it gratefully. She took a sip, waiting for his response.

Draco was speechless. "You are… so full of shit," he uttered. At that, she threw her head back and laughed. The thought that he would like to hear more of her tinkling laughter briefly crossed his mind, but he pushed the notion away.

"Now that's not very nice," she giggled.

"I'm not nice," he retorted.

"Oh, I know. But you're _good."_ She was so confident in her statement that he almost believed it.

Almost.

From there, they actually had a pleasant conversation. Miraculously, she even got a chuckle out of him a time or two. They talked about Hogwarts, Slytherin, alchemy. The waitress brought the check, and Astoria frowned when she saw her coffee was on his ticket. "Oh," she said, digging through her purse, "let me—" Draco stopped her with a hand on her wrist.

"I'll get it."

"But—"

"Think of it as repayment for the chocolate."

She stifled a laugh. "So you really do remember that? I wasn't actually sure."

"Yeah, well, your coffee is far more expensive than a piece of chocolate, so you owe me."

"Hey, if I'd known you were paying I wouldn't have gotten all that extra sugar!"

He rolled his eyes. "Yes you would."

She shoved him playfully in response. "Oh what do you know? We've only talked once before this."

"And what do you know about how good I am?"

She clicked her tongue. "I just do. But I'd like to talk to you more, if that's all right with you. You know, just to prove me right."

Draco leaned back in his chair. "I… I think I would like that, too." The words left his mouth of their own accord, but he didn't find himself regretting them.

She beamed at him for a moment before pulling out her wand and conjuring a quill and piece of parchment. She hastily scribbled something down. "Here's my address. Send me an owl?" He nodded dumbly. She beamed at him a moment before pushing her chair back and standing up. Placing a gentle hand on his back, she said, "It was very nice seeing you, Draco."

He could feel himself blushing, and not trusting his voice he simply nodded, clearing his throat uncomfortably. He watched her go, wishing she could have stayed a little longer.

He looked down at the parchment she gave him, memorizing every loop and curve of each word. When he looked back up, the world around him seemed to have just a little bit more color.

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Let me know what you think, and leave a review!


	3. Letters

This one's a little shorter than I would have liked, but I hope you like it. That's why these are drabbles lol

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Writing letters to Astoria quickly became apart of Draco's daily routine. It had been a long time since he'd had anything to look forward to. His father had raised an eyebrow at the constant arrival of letters addressed to him, as Draco hardly ever wrote to anyone until now, but his mother simply shook her head knowingly.

He wondered if this was how his parents had started out. His heart raced at the thought, which made him feel foolish. He'd hardly interacted with her, let alone asked her on a date.

Although, he'd be lying to himself if he said the tone of the letters wasn't at least a little romantic.

The introductions of her letters led a steady evolution from _"Draco,"_ to _"Dear Draco,"_ and then to _"Dearest Draco."_ In response, he began his letters the same. At first, he only did so as a way of picking fun, but he found himself meaning those words. As audacious as she was, he allowed her to take the lead in most of their conversations. If she ever handed him the reins, he would quickly pass them back.

Her letters proved rather educational. Much like him, Astoria had recently turned over a new leaf and begun to view Muggles in a different light. He had never gone out of his way to learn more about Muggle culture, but being an avid bookworm, she went above and beyond the Muggle Studies curriculum.

She was absolutely taken by the Muggle way of life, and lately she had a particular interest in their movies and even their musicals. He couldn't help but chuckle at her enthusiasm for a certain _Phantom of the Opera._

So he would ask her more about what she knew, only half out of interest, and half because her joy was palpable and almost contagious.

Nevertheless, she managed to throw him a curveball now and again. Today, for example.

When the post arrived with her letter, he was immediately worried by the lightness of the envelope. Her letters were often a few pages long, but this one was only a single piece of parchment. He prepared himself for the worst, assuming she had finally gotten bored with him and written him a curt good-bye note.

He steeled himself and mechanically unfolded the paper. It read:

 _Dearest Draco,_

 _I like you. Let's go on a date. Meet me at The Leaky Cauldron tomorrow night at six o'clock. Don't be late._

 _Yours,_

 _Astoria._

He scanned the paper over and over in disbelief.

Did _she_ just ask _him_ on a date? Still somewhat in shock, he sat down at his desk and drafted an equally brief response.

 _Dearest Astoria,_

 _Isn't that my line? I'll see you there._

 _Yours,_

 _Draco._

He hastily sealed the letter and gave it to the owl. He normally wouldn't send it until later in the day, but it would be bad manners to make her wait for a response. At least, that's what he told himself. In truth, he was excited.

He couldn't remember the last time he had been excited for anything. What was this girl doing to him?

This was going to be _very_ interesting.

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Let me know what you think! Next chapter is the first date.


	4. Movies

Longest chapter so far! Which isn't saying much, since they're just drabbles... Hope you like this one!

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Draco arrived outside The Leaky Cauldron exactly on time, where Astoria was waiting for him by the entrance. The cloudy atmosphere was dismal, but she radiated light and beauty. Her dark eyes lit up when she saw him, and she met him halfway down the sidewalk.

She tucked a strand of curled hair behind her ear. "Draco, hi," she beamed.

"Hello Astoria," he said coolly. "It—" he paused to clear his throat. "It's been too long."

She smiled up at him. "It has." They looked into each other's eyes for a moment before Draco broke the trance, looking away and rubbing the back of his neck.

"So where, dare I ask, are we going? Hogsmeade?" he asked.

"As much as I love clichés, I had something much different in mind," she said with a smirk decorating her pink lips.

"So going on a date in Hogsmeade is 'cliché' now, is it?"

"Yes. We can go though, if you want. Maybe we'll run into some of your old friends. Hermione Granger perhaps? She's delightful."

Draco shuddered. "No, thank you."

"Right then! Come with me." She looped her arm around his and he walked with her.

He cleared his throat again. "Erm, Astoria."

"Yes?" Her gaze was fixed ahead.

He lowered his voice. "I don't know if you know this or not, but the Wizarding World is that way. Just through The Leaky Cauldron there."

"Har, har. Of course I know that. We're not going there, obviously."

He almost tripped on a crack in the concrete. "Then where _are_ we going?"

"Oh, you're going to hate it, darling," she laughed. He tried not to blush at the pet name, sarcastic or not.

He scoffed good-naturedly. "Did you _really_ ask me on a date only to take me somewhere I hate?"

She shrugged. "You hate everything," she giggled.

"I don't hate you," he said quietly. At that, she blushed furiously. From him, it was a compliment, and she knew it.

"Well, I don't hate you either." They smiled at each other and walked in companionable silence until they came to a stop at a building entrance that was surrounded by lit-up posters.

"Here we are," said Astoria. Before Draco could question their location, she was tugging him through the door. Straight ahead of them was a teenager manning a register for concessions. There were more, larger illuminated posters covering the walls, and the carpet was a tacky mish-mash of colors. Popcorn popped in the background while Muggles lazed about the lobby area.

"Oh dear," Astoria sighed, chewing on a nail. "I think we're a bit overdressed." She was watching the Muggles, who were wearing jeans and T-shirts, while she and Draco were in somewhat formal wear.

"Who cares?" he attempted. "It's just a bunch of Muggles."

She gasped and smacked his arm. "Don't say that!"

"Sorry," he apologized sheepishly. "I just meant… Err, it doesn't matter. So are you going to tell me what this place is?"

The grin that appeared on her face could have rivaled the beauty of the stars. "A movie theatre!" she squealed. "Muggles have moving pictures just like we do, but they tell stories with sound and everything."

"A Muggle theatre." Draco shook his head. "You never stop surprising me, Greengrass."

"So… you don't mind? You're okay with this?" she asked hopefully.

"Absolutely not. But let's go."

Astoria groaned, but tugged him along to the ticket booth nonetheless. She nervously asked for two tickets and Draco instinctively reached for his wallet. He could have smacked himself in the forehead—he didn't carry Muggle money.

Astoria was already handing the cashier a handful of bills, which was thoroughly embarrassing. "Astoria I— if I had known—"

"Oh, hush," she reprimanded. She must have given the cashier far too much cash than was necessary, as she was handed back almost every bill she paid with.

"Enjoy the movie," the cashier said tonelessly, giving them a dubious look.

"I take it you aren't going to tell me what movie we're seeing," he said as another employee tore their tickets and pointed them down the hall.

"Oh yes, I thought we would see this one called 'Let's Talk About Sex.' I think it's a horror film."

Draco's eyes widened and he spluttered for a moment before Astoria burst into laughter and put a hand on his arm. "I'm only joking. We'll be watching a 'thriller.'"

"Oh," he breathed, visibly relieved. "Well, if I'm not properly thrilled, I'll demand your Muggle money back."

Astoria giggled. "I'll hold you to that. Come on, let's go inside."

The room was a bit darker than he expected; it took his eyes a bit to adjust. Astoria looked overwhelmed at the amount of seats to choose from. "Where should we sit?"

He hummed. "I imagine the best view would be from the middle, but the back rows would be more private…" He trailed off, realizing the implications of what he was saying. "Ahem. Um. So, we can just go—"

Astoria looked up at him fondly. "To the back," she finished for him. Draco was thankful for the low lighting so she couldn't see him blushing once again.

What was she doing to him?

They took their seats and made quiet, idle chatter.

"The unfortunate thing is that I don't think the people in the movie can interact with people on the outside like the ones in our pictures can. I mean, if there's murder in the movie, as the title would suggest, how will we warn them? I think I'll feel guilty."

Draco snickered at that. "I suppose you could just think of it like reading a book?"

"That's true." She prodded at the arm rest between them. "This really is in the way, isn't it?" She gave it an experimental lift and found that it went all the way to the back of their seats. "That's better!" Before Draco could react, she slid closer to him, and the lights dimmed.

It took them both a good bit of time to realize there were clips before the actual movie, but from the look on Astoria's face, she wanted to see nearly every movie from the previews. She was already enthralled with the Muggles' version of moving pictures, and he could tell she would want to watch many, many more.

The actual movie was actually quite interesting. There were some things that they didn't quite understand due to the culture divide, but for the most part they were rather invested.

"So _that's_ a gun," Astoria whispered when one was shown on screen. "Muggles use those to kill each other! I thought they'd be more wand-like…" Draco snorted.

When the plot picked up in intensity and became more suspenseful, Astoria must have been able to sense Draco's tension. He saw her bite her lip as if trying to decide something, and then she inched her hand closer and closer to his until they brushed. They shared a meaningful look, and after a moment she put her hand fully in his and intertwined their fingers.

All they were doing was holding hands, something he had done with Pansy plenty of times, but it had never set off such sparks in his stomach before. He instinctively ran his thumb along her hand, causing her to sigh contentedly and lean into him with her head on her shoulder.

After that, he wouldn't be able to say what happened by the end of the movie; Astoria was the only thing on his mind. Although he paid little attention to the film, he'd be happy to see a hundred of them if Astoria was by his side.

"I liked that, didn't you?" she asked him once they were outside of the theatre.

"Hm? Oh. Yeah."

"Was it thrilling enough for you, Malfoy?"

"Absolutely. But I can still get your money back. I'll go in right now, I don't care." He smiled, she laughed.

"It's a little late to be making a scene, but I appreciate the thought."

"So, how did you get to The Leaky Cauldron?"

"I used the Floo Network, I can just—"

"Nonsense," he said quickly. "We can apparate to your place. And don't worry about getting splinched, I've gotten rather good at apparating." He held out his hand to her.

She smiled and took it. "If I get splinched, you're paying my hospital bill."

"I _just_ told you not to worry about it." They rounded a corner to a secluded area, and before she could protest further, they disappeared with a crack.

The Greengrass Estate was large, though not so much as Malfoy Manor. Nor was it as dark and looming; rather, it had an almost welcoming presence. They walked hand-in-hand up the paved path to her front door, stopping just at the steps.

Astoria took a deep breath. "I had a wonderful time with you tonight, Draco. I'm glad you came with me."

"Yeah. Me too. You might be onto something about the Muggles." Something he never thought he would say.

She breathed a laugh. "I'm glad I could open your mind, if only a little."

He didn't know what to say to that. While his brain was attempting to drum up something charming, she was already leaning up on her tiptoes with a hand on his arm and pressing a light kiss to his cheek, allowing her lips to linger for a few seconds longer than necessary. Not that he minded.

"Good night, Draco."

He watched her go, and he felt the tingle from her lips on his cheek long after he got back home.

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Did you like it? Let me know in the reviews! Also point out any errors that I missed. Didn't proof read, shhh!


	5. Normal

The best and most alluring thing about Astoria was how _normal_ being with her made him feel. He had always thought that normal was boring, but after his horrifying experiences, normal was all he wanted. Not that Astoria was boring, she was really quite the opposite.

Witty, charming, and outspoken, Astoria Greengrass was _far_ from a bore. He was drawn to her the way a chizpurfle was drawn to the light. Even after one date, he would follow her anywhere blindly, and she wouldn't even have to ask.

Draco paced around his room, deep in thought. He was determined to be the one to ask _her_ on a date this time, but he had no clue where to take her. Someone as special as her deserved to be taken to Heaven or Mount Olympus, but he knew she wouldn't like a place like that. No, her tastes were more simple, yet unique.

After mulling it over for quite some time, he decided she would be happiest with another date in the non-magical world. The mere thought of having to go to Gringotts and actually exchange his galleons for Muggle money embarrassed him to no end, but Astoria's bright grip entered his mind and he stopped caring.

The teller raised an eyebrow at Draco's exchange of currency, but said nothing about it. He made a mental note not to let himself be caught dead by his father with the Muggle cash.

Rather than meeting up, he decided to apparate straight to her house and pick her up. It felt more gentlemanly. He waited anxiously at her front door, but as soon as she emerged in all her radiant beauty, all of his feelings of apprehension melted away.

He held his arm out for her to take. "Ready?"

"Certainly."

They disappeared from the porch with a crack, and in the blink of an eye they were standing in a dark alley way. "Ooh, you really know how to sweep a girl off her feet."

Draco snorted. "Yes, because our date is obviously going to be right here. Go on, sit down. The gravel is quite comfortable." She mock-glared at him. "Come on," he said, taking her hand. They rounded the corner of the alley, and Astoria's eyes lit up at the sight of the quaint Muggle restaurant.

"Oh, this is so cute."

Draco shrugged and pulled her inside. The hostess seated them at a small two-top against the wall. Astoria was barely containing her excitement as she pored over the menu. "There are no moving pictures or anything!"

He rested his chin in his hand and watched her glittering eyes scan the page. He wished he cared about something so deeply as she did about Muggle concepts.

Then again, maybe he did.

"So, do you know what you're going to get?" she asked him.

He snapped out of his reverie. "Err…" He hadn't even looked at his menu yet. "No, not yet."

"I know, it's so hard to decide. The foods aren't much different, but to think they're prepared without magic…"

He hadn't thought of it that way. Suddenly he was overcome with a feeling of normality that he hadn't felt before. Sitting there, in a little restaurant across from his beautiful date, he had never felt so mundane.

He couldn't have been any happier.

Afterwards, they were once again walking back to her front door as slowly as they could reasonably manage in an attempt to make the moment last. Her hand was in his, and his finger brushed a ring he hadn't noticed there before. It was a charming little emerald on a silver band.

"Nice ring," he pointed out.

"Oh, thank you. Graduation gift. I know it's cliché, being a Slytherin and all, but I love emeralds."

That would surely be useful information later. "Well, they suit you." She blushed and looked away as they reached her door.

"That was a lovely dinner, Draco. And next time I _not_ let you sneak the check!" she chastised playfully.

"We'll see about that." His stomach flipped at "next time."

She took a step closer to him. "We will." Her voice had dropped to barely a whisper, and he knew what was supposed to come next. He raised a hand to brush some hair out of her eyes and then to cup her jaw. She closed her eyes, and he took that as permission to close the distance between them.

Her lips were soft like rose petals, he thought idly as she wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss.

It was unlike any kiss he ever shared with Pansy, and he kicked himself for even letting her cross his mind. Parted her lips further and he gladly took the invitation, completely mindless of the fact that he was at her front door. He felt like he was being jinxed in his gut; the feeling of the sparks she gave him was incomparable.

When she pulled away, she looked just as star struck a he felt. She smiled shyly and rubbed some light pink lipstick off the corner of his mouth with his thumb, getting a chuckle out of them both. "Good night, Draco," she murmured.

He nodded at her fondly, for words had failed him. She disappeared into her home, and he was left in awe of how normal she made him feel.

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Finally, a kiss! took em long enough. don't forget to review and let me know how I'm doing!


	6. Tears

happy late holidays! hope you like sadness and being sad. :)

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Draco woke up that morning to the soft sound of rain pattering around his flat. Once the haze of sleep left him, his first thought was of Astoria. How was she? What might she be doing? Was she thinking of him just as he was of her?

He often wondered if he made her heart jump the same way she made his. It was not a feeling he was used to, but he didn't think he would ever get tired of it. His parents would surely call it puppy love, but just the sight of her could make his day.

He began magically brewing himself a cup of coffee while daydreaming of when he might see her again. He thought briefly that maybe he should be embarrassed of how love-struck he was over a younger girl, but he would picture her glittering smile and he wouldn't care anymore.

He didn't particularly feel like going anywhere, allowing himself a lazy Sunday. He passed the time tidying up a little, reading, and even attempting to teach himself a few dishes. He was glad to be on his own, but he sorely missed having a house elf.

Night fell, and he sat down on his leather couch and sipped some tea, flipping through an old alchemy book. He was just considering drafting a letter to Astoria when he heard a soft knock at the door. He paused, unsure as to whether he had even heard it at all. He rarely got visitors.

Draco was just about to write it off as a trick of the rain when he heard the knocking again. He stood up and looked down at himself, suddenly insecure about his appearance. He straightened his long-sleeved tee and dark lounge pants, carding his fingers through his hair and heading for the door. He cracked it open, surveying his visitor with suspicion.

As if she had answered his silent prayers, Astoria was there on the other side. Her hair and clothes were damp, and her face was marked by a few pink splotches. Her eyes were glassy and red, and she was sniffling.

"Astoria, hello," he said, smiling and opening the door wide.

She didn't return the gesture. Instead, she looked down at her shoes and let out a shuddering breath.

Draco's smile fell. "Are you all right?" he asked worriedly. She shook her head minutely, still not looking at him. He put a tentative hand on his shoulder and gently ushered her inside, mentally kicking himself for letting her stay out in the rain as long as he did.

He led her to the couch with his hand on the small of her back and sat down close to her. She wrung her hands in her lap, looking at anything but him. His stomach tingled with dread. She had surely come to break off their relationship. He took a deep breath and swallowed, steeling himself for the inevitable.

"Astoria?" If she was going to do it, he didn't want her putting it off. Best to get it out of the way and let him begin to get over her. She finally met his eyes, a few tears leaking out. Then, she flung her arms around his neck and held him in a tight embrace, sobbing into his shoulder.

Surprised, he wound his arms around her and pulled her close. He was now less sure that she was here to break up with him, but that wasn't much of a relief to him. What could have her coming over in the rain unannounced and reduced to tears. He had never imagined her in such a state. Whenever he was with her, a smile seemed to be permanently etched upon her features.

His heart was breaking as he held her. She wasn't supposed to be this sad. He wished she would tell him why, but now was not the time for talking. She could tell him later, or not at all. What mattered most was keeping her close as she cried, and everything else came second.

He leaned back with her into the couch cushions. Her sobs had quieted, back to sniffling occasionally. Her hand was on his chest, fingering the neckline of his shirt. Draco rubbed his thumb up and down her arm, unsure of what to say. It was getting late, and they would have to go to sleep at some point. Astoria's eyelids were already drooping.

Content as he was to remain like that with her forever, he knew it wasn't practical. Eventually, Astoria's eyes closed fully and her breathing evened out. Draco smiled wistfully and watched her sleep for a few moments. Her face was more peaceful, as it was supposed to be.

Slowly, carefully, he put a hand under her legs and carried her bridal-style toward his bedroom. She stirred, but otherwise showed no signs of waking. He set her on the side of the bed he doesn't sleep on and covered her with a soft blanket. He brushed some hair from her face and made to set up a bed for himself in the living room, but Astoria's hand on his wrist stopped him.

"Stay," she whispered, almost too soft to be audible. Draco blushed madly, but the look on her tear-stained face left him no room for negotiation.

Words failing him, he nodded, and climbed into bed, keeping a respectful distance from her. He heard her sigh comfortably, and she buried her face into the fluffed pillow. He rolled over to face her, and she was facing him, too. Her hand was resting perfectly in the middle of the distance between them both, almost like an invitation. Closing his eyes, he placed his hand atop hers and gently squeezed her fingers. He heard her sigh happily, and they both drifted off to sleep.

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hmm... i wonder what she could be so upset about... leave a review and let me know what you think! thanks to all the guests who have been reviewing as well. i wish i could pm you, but just know i appreciate all of your support!


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